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Staff Spotlight: Maryam Younessi, Subtle Lip Fillers

Duckface No More: Here’s The Secret to Subtle Lip Fillers

When it comes to injectables, lip fillers aren’t known for their subtly. See: former real housewife Taylor Armstrong, Lisa Rinna and, of course, Kylie Jenner. For these TV personalities, more is most certainly more. But for the rest of us? As certified physician’s assistant Maryam Younessi puts it, “it’s hard to get someone to understand that filler and lip enhancement doesn’t mean you’re going to look like a duck.”

Contrary to what “reality” TV shows portray, lips can be enhanced in more nuanced—and believable—way. And that’s exactly what injection specialist and certified physician assistant Maryam Younessi and the Westside Aesthetics team specialize in. “There’s always a scale and different types of fillers can be used,” Maryam says. “You can do a slight enhancement or something more robust. It’s nice to explain this to people so they don’t feel so afraid of coming out overdone.”

Here are her tips for getting exactly the enhancement you want, whether subtle or strong:

Prep Properly: Lips tend to bruise easily and blood thinners exasperate that effect. So it’s best to avoid using blood thinning products like naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and alcohol three-to-five days prior to receiving lip fillers.

Start Simple: “I’m pretty light handed, especially with lips,” Maryam notes. Oftentimes—and particularly with patients new to the procedure—Maryam will split treatments into two or more sessions, adding small doses of filler with each visit rather than going for the gusto in one shot. This helps achieve precisely the desired amount of plump, since lips can swell right after the treatment and skew the perception of immediate results. After lips have settled (about two-to-four weeks later), an assessment can be made as to whether more filler is desired.

Go Beyond Plumping: Enhancing lips goes beyond plumping the surface. Maryam can enhance the border of the lips to sharpen the lip line or perform injections to bring out the cupid’s bow. Lines on the lips’ surface can also be smoothed; “This can make lipstick sit better,” Maryam says.

Find the Right Filler: Part of the trick to creating subtle lip enhancement is in using the right filler product. To smooth out fine lines on the surface of the lips, Maryam may turn to a filler with smaller molecules, like Belotero or Restylane Silk. Patients looking for more body to their lips might benefit from Juviderm or Juviderm Ultra for an added boost. An experienced specialist, like Maryam, will know which product to utilize for different results.

Injections Can Trigger Natural Plumping: Little known fact: lip injections can stimulate the body’s own collagen production, creating a natural and longer-lasting effect. “Everyone metabolizes filler products differently,” notes Maryam. For some, filler may last six-to-eight months, for others, results may fade more quickly. Those who have had previous lip injections before may hold onto the product longer, requiring less frequent visits. Even better, some patients can experience a natural surge of collagen production when filler starts to go away. “Longevity increases the second or third time around,” she notes.

Corrections Can be Made: The best-kept secret about lip fillers? Its effects can be reversed.
Because Westside Aesthetics is known for its natural results, these requests are rarely requested. “We want to avoid a bulgy upper lip, so we take a conservative approach, where less is more,” Maryam says. “The goal is to make you feel sexy.” But even with a slight change, no patient is stuck with a look they weren’t anticipating. “If you hate what’s been done, we can inject an enzyme to reverse the product,” she notes. It’s good peace of mind.”